I’m often asked what it’s like dealing with, interviewing and getting to know the Packer players.
To be honest, it can be interesting, fun and frustrating all at once. It’s our job in the media to be the conduit between the coaches and players to the fans who have an insatiable appetite for insight into the game and the personalities of the men who play it.
How those players deal with us makes our job easier or more difficult. Some choose to be uncooperative, others are indifferent and will do barely more than the league-mandated minimum media availability requirements.
Then there are those who go above and beyond the call. Win or lose, they’ll share their thoughts. Week to week they take the time to help us do our job.
Friday, the collection of reporters who cover the team on a daily basis presented three players with the Tom Mulhern – Stand Up Player of the year award.
First a little something about Tom. A Madison native who was a newspaper reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal, Appleton Post-Crescent and Green Bay Press Gazette. He covered the Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers with a great deal of professionalism and caring.
He lost his wife to cancer in 2009 and was raising his three adult sons when he contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and passed away in September, 2014 at the age of 56. A journalism scholarship was created in his name at the University of Wisconsin with the help of one of his best friends and current Packer reporter, Jason Wilde.
For the first time, the voting results created a three way tie for the award. The first recipient was Mason Crosby.
(Mason Crosby accepts the award)
Talk about a stand up year. Crosby hit plenty of big kicks this season but he’ll be most remembered for dealing with personal and family tragedies. His wife Molly had surgery in October to remove a non-cancerous growth near her lungs. He lost an uncle weeks later and then his 30 year old sister in law died after a three year battle with ovarian cancer. Crosby was open and honest about it all. He turned the ordeals into a crusade to educate the public and offer support to others.
Next up was Bryan Bulaga.
(Bryan Bulaga places his trophy in his locker)
Considered a reluctant and grumpy interview for years, Bulaga blossomed this year into a willing and thoughtful quote provider. He was terrific helping us break down matchups, keeping us in tune with the mood of the locker room all year. Even teammate David Bakhtiari joked about Bulaga’s coming out, saying he hadn’t seen him smile that big since his rookie year. Bulaga shot back you were in high school when I was a rookie.
Finally, Tramon Williams became the first, two time winner of the Stand Up Award. He got one in 2014 and then left the Packers as a free agent for four years before returning in 2018. Personally, he’s one of my favorites of all-time covering the NFL and the Packers. Always available to the media, always honest and insightful, Tramon talked with media members for over 30 minutes on Friday, then gave Stacey Dales of the NFL Network a 1 on 1 interview before we were finally able to present him with the well deserved recognition.
(Tramon Williams admires his second, Stand Up Award with Jason Wilde looking on)
After we handed out the award, Tramon explained his philosophy on dealing not only with the media, but his responsibility to his team, the fans, the press and society.
(Audio: Tramon Williams)
Well said, as usual.
Congrats to this year’s Tom Mulhern Stand Up Guys Award winners, Mason Crosby, Bryan Bulaga and Tramon Williams.
